Buckle for safety belt



Nov. 23, 1965 Filed Aug. 7,

ISAO ATUMI 3,218,685

BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELT 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3| U 45 Hi I" q 44 fi l 3| 1 a I I INVENTOR I Ao A BY ATTORNEY Nov. 23, 1965 lSAO ATUMl BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. '7, 1963 INVENTOR I 5A0 A'TUMI ATTORNEY Nov. 23, 1965 lSAO ATUMl 3,218,685

BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELT Filed Aug. '7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 '1, vii 14:22am:

INVENTOR Is A 0 AT UM I Y ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,218,685 BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELT Isao Atumi, Ohta-ku, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Teijin Limited, Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan, and Yushin Seiki Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Aug. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 300,609 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 24, 1962, 37/54,943 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-77) This invention relates to buckles for use on safety belts in airplanes and automobiles.

T raflic accidents tend to increase in number and scale because of the higher speeds at which automobiles and aircrafts are operated and because of the substantially increased number of such vehicles in operation. It has been known that it is useful for protecting operators or passengers from unfortunate occurrences to provide safety belts on their seats. The buckle of such a belt should be constructed so that it can easily and readily be connected to the belt and released therefrom, preferably in one operation. Especially, the release operation must be easy even when the belt is under the tension during the accidents.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle which can easily be released from the belt during the accidents.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle to which the belt can be secured with the easiest operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle which can be easily and releasably secured by those who are not skilled in its operation without any special knowledge thereabout.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle which prevents the belt from becoming loosened under any circumstances unless it is manipulated to release the belt.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle whose passage excludes any means for releasing the belt from the buckle therethrough.

Besides, since the buckle of this invention is of simple construction, it can be made rugged and rigid at low manufacturing costs.

The advantage and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partly sectioned top plan view embodying the present invention and showing the buckle and the tongue plate engaged together.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal elevational view of the buckle.

FIG. 3 is an inverted plan view of the buckle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the handle of the buckle.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the tongue plate.

FIGS. 6l0 are sectional elevational views of the buckle to illustrate how to operate the buckle and the tongue plate. FIG. 6 shows the tongue plate partly inserted into the buckle. FIG. 7 shows that the tongue plate is forcing up the engaging latch member.

FIG. 8 shows the latch member holding the tongue plate in fully engaged position.

FIG. 9 shows the handle which is slightly moved to the released position, but is not yet disengaging the latch member from the tongue plate.

FIG. 10 shows the handle in the released position. It also shows the latch member fully disengaged from the tongue plate.

More particularly describing the invention, the base consists of a base plate 18 and side walls 21 formed by bending longitudinal edges of the base plate. On the base plate the slighly raised guide lip 14 forming an entrance for a tongue plate described below, the upwardly 3,218,685 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 and rearwardly inclined front ramp member 16 and the downwardly and rearwardly inclined second ramp member 15 are made wide than the tongue plate. The bent inwardly raised portion 30 is formed as a continuation of the main portion of the base plate. A part 18 of the base plate is slightly projected outwardly for reinforcement. On the side walls there are cars 26 formed by inwardly bending the raised portion of the walls. Further there are on the end, or entrance side of the tongue plate, of the side wall round holes 12 to receive an axle provided with a latch member. There are also elongated holes 28 on the other ends of the walls. The latch member 13 is shaped in the form of a claw as indicated in FIGS. 6-10. A hole is opened at one end of the member to receive the axle 33. A free end 17 is provided in a place distant from the hole. On the opposite side of the end, there is provided a small recess 19 to lock one end of a spring 24. The end portion 17' adjacent to the free end 17 forms an arc of a circle having the same curvature from the center of the hole. Around the bar 27 there is looped one end of the belt or another belt 29. The fiat end parts 27' of the bar are slidably fitted into the elongated holes 28. The belt is connected with the base around the bar by pulling out between the raised portion 30 and the ramp 15 on the back of the base.

One end of the handle adjacent to the base is a thickness 25 whose center forms a cavity 25' to receive the latch member. There is provided a shoulder 11 on the thickness 25 which opposes to the shoulder 13' of the latch member 13.

The latch members 13 are mounted on the axle 33 with a coil spring 24. The handle 11 and the base 18 'are joined together by passing the axle 33 through the holes 12 and 32. Another coil spring 20 is mounted on the axle 33 and one end of which is locked by a slot 22 on the hole 12 so that the coil spring always urges to wards the base the handle which is pivotable between the base and the released position. Further a coil spring 24 is mounted on the axle so that it always urges the latch member towards the ramp. It is noted in this connection that the tension of the spring 24 is set smaller than that of the spring 20. There are inserted a washer 35 between one end 34 of the axle 33 and the hole 12. The head of the axle is threaded and tightened with a nut or riveted so that it may not move axially. A latch opening 45 is provided on the front tongue member 42 of the tongue plate 41. The belt engaging section 46, broaden part of the tongue plate has an elongated slot 47 through which the end of the belt 31 is looped.

When inserting the tongue plate through the entrance 14 of the buckle of the above construction to secure the belt sections together, the tongue plate enters between the base 18 and the latch member 13 (FIG. 6). As the front edge advances, it penetrates between the front ramp member 16 and the free end 17 of the latch member, and forces up the pivotable latch member against the action of the spring 24 (FIG. 7). When the tongue plate enters deeper, the latch opening 45 comes under the latch member, which then snaps into the opening and presses against the front ramp member. The tongue plate is held by the latch member so securely that the latch member does not disengage the tongue plate (FIG. 8) even if they are pulled on each other. Further, the ears 26 serve as guide for the front tongue member 42, by slidably holding parts of the side edges 43.

In order to release the tongue plate, the handle is pulled upwardly from the base, and the latch member does not disengage the tongue plate until the shoulder 11' of the handle comes into engagement with the shoulder 13 of the latch member for it continues pressing against the front ramp member 16 (FIG. 9). When the handle is 3 l raised away, the shoulder 11 comes into contact with the shoulder 13', pushes it and lifts up the end 17 by rotating the latch member clockwise. Since the latch member is pulled thereby out of the tongue plate, the plate can readily be withdrawn from the buckle (FIG.

Since the latch member always lies in the latch opening and presses against the front ramp member when the tongue plate is held by the latch member, the tongue plate will not go out of the latch member as far as some means are not used for raising the latch member. If a pull is given at the tongue plate, since the latch part 45 is held in a place slightly separated from the free end of the latch member 13 and the latch part is given force to urge the latch member counterclockwise, namely, against the ramp, the tongue plate becomes more securely locked. But since the end portion 17. forms an arc of a circle having the same curvature from the center of the hole, tongue plate is readily released from the latch member as soon as the latch member slightly leaves the tongue plate. The latch member can thus be released in one operation and with ease by manipulating the handle even under the tension of belt. Besides, the lever of the handle being placed in the remotest place from the entrance of the tongue plate, the finger-s that raise the handle do not prevent the operation to give a pull at the tongue plate. This also quickens the release of the belt from the buckle. Besides, the part 18' of the base plate which is slightly projected outwardly serves as a reinforcement against a heavy load applied to the buckle. The buckle, therefore, will withstand shocks.

What is claimed is:

1. A buckle comprising a tongue plate provided with a latch opening, a base composed of a base plate and side walls formed by bending the longitudinal edges of said plate, the width of which is slightly wider than the width of the tongue plate to be inserted therein, said base plate being formed with a slightly and outwardly projected shape under the surface thereof and having a ramp upwards and rearwards inclined on the surface thereon, ears extending inwardly from said walls, there being a space between said base plate and said ears serving as guide for said tongue plate, a handle whose end is poistioned to the entrance side of said tongue plate and is mounted on an axle fitted into holes on one side of said side walls, in a place in front of said ramp, so that it is piv'otable between the locked and released positions and approximately covers the base plate when in the locked position, a spring provided on said axle for locking said handle, a latch member, said latch member having an aperture provided therein and a free end in a place spaced from said aperture which receives said axle therein and an end portion adjacent to said free end forming an arc of a circle having the same curvature from the center of said apert-ure, said latch member being mounted on said axle with another spring so that the free end of said latch member directs rearwards and said latch member pivots between the pressing position and the unlatching position without rasing said handle when said tongue plate is inserted through the entrance of said space, whereby after completely inserting said tongue plate in the buckle, said latch member securely engages with the latch opening of said tongue plate and thereafter by raising said handle en- =ables said latch member to be lifted up for disengagement with said opening of the tongue plate.

2. A buckle according to claim 1, further comprising a bar having flat end parts which are slideably fitted into elongated holes in said side walls.

lieferences Cited by the Examiner JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, BOBBY R. GAY, Examiners. 

1. A BUCKLE COMPRISING A TONGUE PLATE PROVIDED WITH A LATCH OPENING, A BASE COMPOSED OF A BASE PLATE AND SIDE WALLS FORMED BY BENDING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID PLATE, THE WIDTH OF WHICH IS SLIGHTLY WIDER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE TONGUE PLATE TO BE INSERTED THEREIN, SAID BASE PLATE BEING FORMED WITH A SLIGHTLY AND OUTWARDLY PROJECTED SHAPE UNDER THE SURFACE THEREOF AND HAVING A RAMP UPWARDS AND REARWARDS INCLINED ON THE SURFACE THEREON, EARS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID WALLS, THERE BEING A SPACE BETWEEN SAID BASE PLATE AND SAID EARS SERVING AS GUIDE FOR SAID TONGUE PLATE, A HANDLE WHOSE END IS POSITIONED TO THE ENTRANCE SIDE OF SAID TONGUE PLATE AND IS MOUNTED ON AN AXLE FITTED INTO HOLES ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, IN A PLACE IN FRONT OF SAID RAMP, SO THAT IT IS PIVOTABLE BETWEEN THE LOCKED AND RELEASED POSITIONS AND APPROXIMATELY COVERS THE BASE PLATE WHEN IN THE LOCKED POSITION, A SPRING PROVIDE ON SAID AXLE FOR LOCKING SAID HANDLE, A LATCH MEMBER, SAID LATCH MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE PROVIDED THEREIN AND A FREE END IN A PLACE SPACED FROM SAID APERTURE RECEIVES SAID AXLE THEREIN AND AN END PORTION ADJACENT TO SAID FREE END FORMING AN ARC OF A CIRCLE HAVING THE SAME CURVATURE FROM THE CENTER OF SAID APERTURE, SAID LATCH MEMBER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE WITH ANOTHER SPRING SO THAT THE FREE END OF SAID LATCH MEMBER DIRECTS REARWARDS AND SAID LATCH MEMBER PIVOTS BETWEEN THE PRESSING POSITION AND THE UNLATCHING POSITIONS WITHOUT RAISING SAID HANDLE WHEN SAID TONGUE PLATE IS INSERTED THROUGH THE ENTRANCE OF SAID SPACE, WHEREBY AFTER COMPLETELY INSERTING SAID TONGUE PLATE IN THE BUCKLE, SAID LATCH MEMBER SECURELY ENGAGES WITH THE LATCH OPENING OF SAID TONGUE PLATE AND THEREAFTER BY RAISING SAID HANDLE ENABLES SAID LATCH MEMBER TO BE LIFTED UP FOR DISENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPENING OF THE TONGUE PLATE. 